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Just discovered your 3-week conference. I just got word that the JREF is paying for me to travel and speak at the 15th European Skeptical Congress in Stockholm on Aug 23-25 about the Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (and the Skeptic Action) projects.

I’m trying to make my travel arrangements now, but it might be possible to stop on my way to Sweden in Edinburgh if you would like Mark Edward (author of Psychic Blues, mentalist, skeptical activist) and myself lecture?

I know you are aware of my project GSoW as one of my editors is writing your Wikipedia page at the moment, we also hope to create a page for the Ockham award. Activism and outreach beyond the choir is the most important element in the skeptical movement, otherwise we will just remain as a skeptical community. Fractured and continually bitching in our beer as critical thinking becomes further eroded. Only when we unite and fight back against these frauds can we make a difference in changing minds. This is what Mark and I speak about, and your attendees are who we are aiming at.

So, sorry that this is so very last minute, but just got word today that I will be speaking in Stockholm.

I am very keen to meet with the Skeptics society and discuss a collaboration around a project which I have been forming up with a number of universities (Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan, Napier) and the Royal Society of Arts. I run the Ragged University project which is about people sharing their knowledge for free in social circumstances. We are looking to run a competition around people presenting their theories and getting people to peer review these – prizes will be given for the best voted hypotheses and peer reviews. The essence of this is that we aim to incentivise knowledge production and analytical thinking in the wide populus. I have been aware of your organisation and think that you would be an ideal partner in all of this. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and seeing where this conversation leads.

On the 9th August I’m running an event at Tin Roof in Dundee in conjunction with Generator Projects, and to realise the event I’m looking for an individual who’d be interested in running a talk, of sorts, for me.

I need some help in finding someone to present this event for me (or multiple people if they’d rather split the script writing and presenting), if you would be able to forward the information below on to all relevant parties that would be greatly appreciated.

The Light-years is an attempt to question our presence of ‘the body’, our orientation within a dimensionless dimension – space. Without the presence of an external up/down/left/right how does our body perceive and interact within space? How do we locate ourselves without these external coordinates?

The whole space; walls, floor, ceiling, are covered in a speckled glow-in-the-dark dust that forms a spectacular Trompe L’oeil; a universe in a room. As you sit in the darkened room your senses are distilled; your instincts of space, distance and orientation become distorted.

Presented as a one off event, I would like to transform the space into a Universe in a room. Throughout the event, if possible, I would like an individual from a science background to provide a talk that is usually reserved for the nights sky. Through re-appropriation this talk will provide a thematic layer to the work, using the room and it’s randomly appointed star clusters as the reference points for ‘the real’. I’d like to work together to form a skeletal ‘script’ using terminology, themes and references from the real components of space, but using elements of the room, it’s formation, corners and shape as a mapping mechanism to bring the space within the room into question. This confabulated part room/part wilderness of the universe is presented to the audience as if this IS the real, this IS the universe; galaxies would be described as being centimetres apart, and corners would form implosion points as diagonal planes converge.

This event is scheduled to take place on Friday 9th August at Tin Roof in Dundee, the event opens at 7pm, though the first talk would be from 7:30/8pm. The talk should be about 20-30 minutes, with the possibility that it might run twice on the same night (depending on visitor numbers). I’m able to cover all transport costs to and from the venue and food and drink expenses. Also, if you’re happy to be named, you will be cited on all web based publicity for the event (Facebook/Websites/Mail-outs).

Since I graduated from Intermedia Art at Edinburgh College of Art in 2009 I have been a co-founder and co-director of Rhubaba Gallery and Studios based in Edinburgh (www.rhubaba.org). This has run in parallel to my art practice where I have focused on creating sculptural works and drawings that have a tendency to idiosyncratically question our position and place within space. The Light Years is my first installation/performance based work and I’m excited to get this opportunity to present this idea on such a scale.
If you’re interested in being a part of this this event, or would like further information please email me on; clairedaviesinfo@gmail.com

Thanks for contacting us. I’ll post a link and some details in our Facebook Group, and also in the Bright Club group. It may be of more interest to them, because they are both scientists and performers.

That said, both we and they will be up to our necks in Fringe by then.

Hi there. I’m currently speaking at a number of Skeptics in the Pub meetings in the South East on the subject of Alcoholics Anonymous. I am one of a small band of bloggers campaigning for more effective, more accessible, secular, science-based recovery methodologies. I’m in Edinburgh working at the University in June (I’m a lecturer) and wondered if there was a possible opportunity to do a talk for you..? My work has, so far, gone down extremely well where it’s been heard. If so could someone please email me or contact me via my blog? If not, no worries. Thanks.
Jon S “Leaving AA, Staying Sober” http://jonsleeper.wordpress.com

Hi Fiona – We will have our regular flyer listing all the events available shortly. It will be available at the Banshee to pick up and we’ll be handing it out during the Fringe. We’ll also post a PDF so you can print it out at home should you wish.